What Happened on the Way
by Lillian Sunshine
Summary: This is basically my take on what happened to Gendry and Arya on their journey. I added in the romance and took out their respective kidnappings. Hope you enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

All of my senses were on high alert. "What did he say about the guards?" I demanded.

"He didn't," Arya said with a grimace.

"How'd you figure he left that part out? Seems a pretty important part to me."

"Shut up," she snapped.

"I say we yield," Hot Pie whispered stupidly.

"Shut up!" We both hissed automatically.

"No going back now," Arya said determinedly. "We have to trust him."

"You do," I hotly muttered. "To us he's just some man that was almost too dangerous for the Night's Watch!"

"Enough," Arya glared at me, "Stay here with Hot Pie if you're afraid. Maybe it will be awhile yet before they come to "interrogate" you." With an awesome glint shining in her eyes Arya stepped into view.

"Arya!" I cried in alarm. Past caring for caution she ignored me and began to walk.

"Damn that girl!" I sighed and pulled Hot Pie behind me as we three walked through the gate.

I was terrified and trying to mask it by frequently gulping and stiffly walking while Hot Pie was a step away from screaming. Not Arya though. Whatever fears she had were hidden, her face ferocious, and her body in an aggressive stance, hand on the sword I had pilfered for her from the armory. We made it through without incident.

In about 5 minutes we came upon Jaqen with three horses, as promised. "A man would speak to a girl alone," he said in that odd way of speaking that he had.

"Fine." Arya agreed, hand never leaving her sword hilt. She stalked off.

"Wow did you see her?" I laughed, my heart beating wildly with the thrill of fresh escape.

"Huh," Hot Pie asked "I was mostly concentrating on not bawling."

"It was like she wasn't afraid. Or at least she had a great mask because how could anyone not be afraid in that situation. And the way she stepped out first, the way she held herself, it was so strong… She got us out of Harrenhal Hot Pie. I never would've gone out she hadn't first. We may very well owe her our lives."

I saw my words had fallen on deaf ears, as Hot Pie had gone off to take a piss. I noticed with some surprise the rather upright position of my trousers. That could never happen, right? My mind refused to stop sending me pictures of the strong, defiant, brave, unstoppable face of Arya walking.

At that moment Arya came again into view, alone. She saw my trousers and rolled her eyes. "Stop dreaming about naked men and help me ready the horses. We'll need to get a ways away before we can even think about rest. Where's Hot Pie?" She walked off not waiting for an answer.

I thought about a torture I once saw here to quell the erection and walked to the horses.


	2. Chapter 2

After about three days I had to stop. I'd have liked to go longer, but I was the only one who knew any geographical features that would point us to Riverrun , and I couldn't presently tell my foot from my hand.

"Alright," Gendry said as I slumped from my horse. "Get some rest. We don't need you navigating us into Lannister hands."

"Don't let Hot Pie light a fire. We're not far away enough yet."

"Do you take me for an idiot? I'm just as paranoid as you are."

"That's good." I laid down and was asleep instantaneously.

Next evening I woke up to see either Hot Pie or Gendry had covered me with a saddle blanket. I rolled over and I caught Gendry staring with the oddest expression on his face of admiration, confusion, and appraisal. He was looking at me.

"What are you doing?" I demanded sitting up.

"Nothing, just wondering when I should wake you," he said with red cheeks.

"How long have I been out?"

"Almost a day." Gendry handed me an apple, sausage and a canteen. "You must be starving. You can't go on like this."

"We're trying to escape Harrenhal alive. Forgive me if rest isn't my first priority." I gulped down some water.

"I won't . It's inefficient to ride three days and sleep for one. You're yourself and the horses."

He was right. "Fine. We'll ride tonight & tomorrow, and stop at dusk."

"Agreed." In a moment of extreme awkwardness he said, "You've got to take care of yourself Arya." I turned red now as well.

"I-I," he didn't wait for me to say anything. He started kicking a log that turned out to be Hot Pie."

"Why'd you have to wake me like that?" he mumbled sorely.

"Sorry," Gendry avoided our gazes.

I'd had enough of this wake up call. "Wonderful. Come on we've a ways to go before we reach the Trident." I noticed the blank faces, and with a charitable thought that they never had a Maester Luwin to teach them geography I explained, "Once we reach the Trident we just have to walk a little whil upstream to reach my mother's house.

"What are we to do when we reach Riverrun?" Gendry asked, an odd negative tone in his voice.

"No clue," I said placing the saddle blanket on my mare. "I have to reach my family. They likely think me dead. You don't have to come I suppose, though I can't understand why you wouldn't want to. I'll give you a word with Robb. You could be a smith, and Hot Pie a cook."

"And you?" Gendry said bitterly mounting his horse. "You'll go back to being a lady?"

"I'm not a lady, never was," I furrowed my brow wondering why he seemed angry.

"Oh so Lady Catelyn will just let you go on wielding a sword and wearing dirty boy clothes."

"I don't see why I'm being attacked. I'll manage. I resisted ladyhood for 11 years before I had to flee, I'll do it again. My place is with the Starks. Don't you have a sense of duty?"

Gendry shrugged. "Never had anyone to be dutiful to." His weird indignation was gone.

The ride fell into a comfortable silence. I had a lot to think about. I… I did feel something for Gendry. He certainly made a good impression, back when I thought the gods were going to let me reach Winterfell and everyone else thought they were going to the crows. Hot Pie and Lommy were making a failed attempt to be tough. I could fend for myself, but I'll never forget that Gendry, a complete stranger told them to pick on someone their own size. And he has a way about him. He's strong. These feelings I had always keep inside a little vault. I never dreamed he'd like me back, but based on how he acted toward me today, maybe the vault should be opened.

And where the hell was I going? I knew some tricks to get me home, but what would I do once I made it? My home before the war was a place where I managed to resist the constant pressure to become a lady. But despite what I said to Gendry earlier I can't be who I am now at Riverrun. I love my family. I have to find them. Still, I have a lot of opportunity now. I'd like to get good at my needlework. I can't be a Stark and a not be a lady. I can resist and resist, eventually I'll just have to leave. I don't want my old life, but I want my family. It shames me to say which one I know I'll pick.


	3. Chapter 3

She's fuming. It's kind of cute. Everything about her is becoming kind of cute nowadays. There's no use denying it. I, Gendry, bastard of gods know who have a crush on a lord's daughter. I'd tried hard to stop it because, well, it can't be can it? But I've spent every day with her, and now it isn't infatuation anymore, it's love.

"Why by the old gods and the new do you look so happy?" she demands. "We're captives!"

I decide not bring up that she was the only one that they REALLY would stop from leaving. "You don't have be ashamed you know. We were outnumbered and outskilled."

"It's not my fault I didn't get enough time with Syrio. I've been practicing. It's hard practicing what I remember from a year ago with the trees."

"Oh stop it. You're a true warrior even though you're not good at fighting." She grabbed a pebble and flung it at me with deadly accuracy

"Did you come here just to insult me?"

"My camp is a foot away from yours. I didn't come any-. Hey! Ow, that rock was big." This wasn't going well. I really shouldn't be doing this now, but I'm not known for a romantic.

"You are a warrior Arya Stark. It was really brave how you stepped out into the open, tried to protect us as long as you could."

"You were under my protection," she mutters.

"And then when you-" I stop. I was running on fumes. "I love you." There it was done. I grabbed her and I kissed her I could taste her surprise, and I wondered if this wasn't a mistake. But then she gave something back. Relief and panic filled me. She liked me too. Great what was to become of us now?

Two nights later I woke up to her lying next to me her nervous intentions in the air. Tentatively, clearly giving me time to refuse, she put her hand… there. I stiffened immediately. I wanted her, I really did. But I'd been thinking. I don't want Arya if I can't keep her.

"Arya," she stopped immediately. "I love you. I want to be with you. It's just… you're a highborn. You've got a family you're bound to. I'm just a bastard, and, I don't want a fling, not now, and definitely not with you."

"Gendry?" She sounded hurt. "You've known me for 1 and a half years now. Do you think I care what you're last name is? I love you because you're strong, straight forward, capable, and even a little because you're stubborn. I'm not interested in a fling. I want what we have to be a special thing."

"You're leaving in a few weeks. A few months tops. We'll never meet again."

"Yes it's true I must go. I need to see my family through the war. Idiots, all of them, idiots who frolic in a fantasy world of honor and chivalry until someone pulls them out and takes their head. But, I certainly don't plan to stay after to become a nobleman's wife. I'll leave that to Sansa. Gendry, if you're willing to give us a shot, and if we work, then no matter what I have to do, I will get back to you."

I didn't want to fall in love with her but I did. I don't want to form a relationship with her but I have. In the back of my mind I know my happiness now will equal sorrow soon, but I don't care. I draw her close and feel her warmth.


	4. Chapter 4

I wake up, and she's beside me, hand on my chest as if to make sure I wasn't going to slip away. "Good morning," I said glumly.

She opened her eyes. "Maybe if we walked off into the woods we could just keep on going, and no one would ever find us."

"You wouldn't do that."

"I wouldn't," she agreed. "But it's dawn. Let's go for a walk anyway." So that's what we did. I stuck as close to Arya as was possible. I wanted to be with her as much as I could. I was never going to see her again. Inside, I was kind of freaking out. Arya could sense my panic.

"Gendry, I'm coming back. You know that right?"

"Yeah," NO, I thought.

She turned around. "No you're lying. By now don't you know I love you?"

"Yes, of course."

"So you really think I would fuck around with your emotions and leave you when I said I would come back?"

"No."

"My stupid bull, why are you worried then?"

I knew I shouldn't open my mouth. It was the wrong thing to say at the wrong time, but I had already started. "You absolutely mean everything you say now, but maybe later when you're with your family and you have three meals a day and you don't have to worry about whether the shady character in the inn will try and rob you when you sleep, maybe then you'll reconsider."

Her eyes blazed with hurt inevitably coupled with rage. "I would usually kick your ass for that." She took a deep breath and put a rope around her anger "But it could be years before we meet again. I'll wait until I can be with you for good to wail on you."

"I kind of ruined this didn't I," I was downcast and ashamed.

"I don't want security or 3 meals a day. I want you, and Needle if I ever find it. I'm really disappointed you don't realize that." She walked off. I hung my head.


	5. Chapter 5

That night I didn't wait for her to come for me as I always had. Sure I'm a man, I'm not an insensitive idiot. She didn't need or want what she had those other nights. I was hers and she was mine. And so something of mine was hurting.

I found her by the tree. Her weapon was out. I saw her slowly polishing it. That was nothing new. One of the consistencies of Arya when she was confused, contemplative, disturbed, angry, tired, even just calm. Not a very cute habit, but I don't love her for her cuteness. I supposed I should say something, except I have no words. I just sat beside her.

"He didn't have to parade him about-like-like he did. With Grey Wind's head where Robb's-" She abruptly stopped. By the moonlight I saw her performing another consistency of hers: savaging her lip. I put my arm around her and she cried on my shoulder. I'll never know why she chose me to cry on, not when to everyone else she's so tough and unstoppable, but it's one of the rare blessings from whichever sick motherfucker owns this life.

With that never failing strength that Arya always has in her back pocket, she opened her mouth and finished, "Robb's head should be on his body." She shuddered. One of the many grotesqueries that evening had to offer. I only got a passing glance at the wolf's head on the so called King of the North, but what I'll never forget is the look on Arya's face. The palette of hurt, confusion, and despair coupled with a blinding rage and readiness for revenge was the perfect explanation for why I loved her. She wasn't always so easy to love, but I guess we've managed.

"I was so close, I'm always so close but so utterly useless Gendry! It was the same with my father. When I escaped I ran to the Tower of the Hand. All around me were dead Northmen. I just kept thinking: How long? How long ago could I have saved them? And that day in the Sept of Baelor, I was not 100 feet from my father, yet I could do nothing as they brought him to his knees."

"Thank the gods you were not too late or useless when you told the gold cloaks it was Gendry, not Lommy they had killed that day. Or when you got Me and Hot Pie out before the Mountain killed all his prisoners.

She gave me the prettiest, saddest smile I'm ever likely to see. "Two nights ago I wished for anything that would help me stay with you for just a little more." She laughed. "I will now. I don't have anywhere else to go so why shouldn't I stay with the one person who's given me any happiness these years." She paused a long while. "I can't stay forever."

"I know." I did.

"I'm not going to Aunt Lysa or any other shit relative Thoros pulls out of his ass. I've a duty for revenge. I've a duty to my house to do what it takes to free Sansa and rebuild Winterfell.. I have no idea what path I might take to achieve these goals, but soon it won't be on yours."

"You're wrong." My voice comes as a surprise to me, but I do not shy away from the sound of it. "Up until last night I would've agreed with you. Life's dealt you some crappy cards, but I will use them for what I can." She looks at me, puzzled. "Wherever you go I go," I state firmly. The way she sinks into me is all the answer I need.


End file.
